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Over Six Hundred Women and Allies Risk Arrest to #CancelKavanaugh

On Tuesday, September 4, the Center for Popular Democracy, CPD Action, the Women’s March, and Housing Works along with CPD Network affiliates and allies Alaska Grassroots Alliance, Arkansas Community Organization, Hoosier Action, Organize Florida, Maine Grassroots Alliance, Rights and Democracy VT and NH, Strong for All, SPACES and the Birddog Nation, kicked off a week of near constant action calling on the Senate to #CancelKavanaugh and not confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court Justice of the United States. Brett Kavanaugh’s judicial record demonstrates his commitment to rolling back reproductive justice, labor rights, and racial justice protections across the country.

One after another people stood up to tell their reasons why they did not want Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Nearly 100 people occupied the offices of several Senators including Chuck Schumer, Rob Portman, Joe Donnelly, Chuck Grassley and Susan Collins, calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to represent the interests of women, working people, immigrants, and others whose futures would become uncertain with a Kavanaugh nomination.

Network President and Co-Executive Director of CPD and CPD Action Jennifer Epps-Addison was the second to be arrested on Tuesday morning, calling on Senate Democrats to each “Be A Hero,” a reference to CPD Action Senior Campaigner Ady Barkan, who started the Be A Hero fund to protect health care for working Americans. Epps-Addison was arrested with over 30 other women from the CPD Network, the Women’s March, Ultraviolet and NARAL. By Wednesday, September 5, over 200 women and allies were arrested for disrupting the Kavanaugh Hearings and occupying Senate offices.

“From disrupting the hearing to occupying Senator Schumer’s office, we are here to tell our Senators that they need to protect us and our futures by cancelling the Kavanaugh hearings,” said Epps-Addison. “Yes, some Democrats applauded our efforts this morning. But that is not enough. We need bold action. In these dangerous times, we need nothing less than a full rejection of this dangerous nominee.”

On the final day of hearings, activists organized a funeral procession and delivered flowers to heroic Senators Kamala Harris, Mazie Hirono and Cory Booker for taking bold action during the confirmation hearings. Activists also sent flowers to wavering Senator Lisa Murkowski, after 10 members from Alaska Grassroots Alliance met with her, in the hope that she shows the same bravery she displayed during the fight to save the the Affordable Care Act in this moment of urgency. Murkowski signaled that she is leaning towards voting no but needed support. This meeting illustrates the power of our coordinated actions.

Along with his proven anti-choice history, Brett Kavanaugh is poised to erode worker protections, deny rights to immigrants, take away health care access, all while bolstering the power of big corporations and millionaires and billionaires. While each person has a different reason for protesting Kavanaugh, collectively we understand that a Senate vote on his nomination would erode freedoms and protections for generations.